Ruby stinks!

[clinck]

Guys,
I posted a note on the engines and drivetrain topic but thought I should double post this.

Ruby is running way too rich and fouling. I have adjusted the idle screw to get her to idle at 1000 rpms but my eyes are burning and you can smell the fuel.
What do I do...read my post on engines and drivetrains. HELP!!

Regards,

Sundown

[clinck]

Guys,

I went back and searched some topics and see that I am over my head here. I don't know squat about jetting and and I can't even time a motor. I'm bearin my soul here so I would apreciate Rick, Brent and Clay and the rest of you to stop laughin for a minute and give me some advise. I can get it to the shop and on a scope and that's my usual fix for these problems. I would like to learn some basic stuff that will allow me to get friendly with this car.
Regards,

Sundown

[clayfoushee]

Sundown,

Nobody's laughing, and I was exactly in your position when I picked up my car. I had to take a crash course in everything and was completely clueless. Your problem could be a number of things, so I won't hazard a guess.

Since you are in the learning stage, I think it would be a good idea for you to take the car to a racing or hot-rod shop where people still knowledgable about carbs. and other old school technology still live. Don't even think about taking it to a shop where all they do is modern stuff.

I don't know of anything in your area, but I would put a post on ClubCobra on the Arizona club forum asking for advice on a good shop. There's a large bunch of active Cobra freaks out there. You might also find a knowledgeable fellow Cobra owner, who'd be willing to come to your house and help, for nothing more than free beer.

AND, most importantly, don't sweat this stuff...it's a normal part of running a vintage design with vintage components. You'll be a pro in no-time...trust me. It may be frustrating now, but it can also be one of the most fun things about this hobby...learning to figure out these things yourself.


Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[clinck]

Clay,

I have 2 shops where I have done business with a number of cars that I have owned. The problem is they are way far away from me...like 40 miles and expensive. These guys are both good so I will bite the bullet this time but I am determined to get more engine educated. I appreciate your response and will take appropriate action.
The idle screw is located on the carb linkage and has a spring to create tension so the position cna be maintained. If I turned it back to where it was the car won't idle and stumbles and quits. I have it adjusted to idle at 1000 rpm but from the smell I know it's running too rich and I know that I am fouling the plugs a bit. There's no smoke coming from the pipes at this time.

Regards,



Sundown

[clayfoushee]

Sundown,

Sounds like you're OK on driving it.... You're better too rich than too lean, and unless you have a lot of black smoke pouring out, it's drivable, if the engine is running smooth at higher rpms. Plus, it'll lean out considerably at those higher rpms, so you may not be fouling as much as you think.

BTW, it should be rich on a cold start, and mine's always slightly rich at idle.

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[souzape]

What's the elevation in Phoenix?? The car might heave leaned out due the variance in altitude between where it was built and where you are now. We a;ll get spoiled by computer controlled fuel injection on our newer vehicles that automatically compensate for elevation differences. If this is the cas, adjusting the idel won't help. You'll have to re=jet.

[weaver]

Sundown, the company that did the prototype work on our 289 car is in Apache Juction, the owner Carl has built several Cobras over the years and could probably recommend someone to help you out, his number is 480-983-5125. There used to be a perfomance shop in Mesa called Lopers Performance, they might be able to help also. Good luck.

Alan

[JerryBP]

Clinck, You said that your car has been sitting for a while, there may have been some crud formed by evaporated gas.
This crud can flake off and get between the needle and seat in the float bowl not allowing the needle to completly close off the fuel flow and allow the fuel level to get too high and cause an over rich mixture.
If your carb have a float level sight glass so that you can see the fuel level, look and see if it is overly full.
If not you will have to remove the top of the carb and see how much fuel is in the float bowl.
one thing you could try ( befor you remove the top of the carb) is to remove the fuel line from the carb and blow compresed air into the carb to try to disloge the dirt, if that works then you will still need to take the carb top off and clean the float bowl as it will probably happen again.

Work in Progress, Unique 427-9429 400+hp 351C Tremec 3550-2 5spd Coal Black
by Bruce, Greg & Jerry Porter Caldwell, Ohio

[WBofTN]

Clinck:
I'm no expert and still fighting and learning a/b my Holley.
My car runs better rich (I'm talkin eye watering rich). If I lean
the idle circuits, the car developes a stumble and backfire (between the
transition from idle to main circuit).
You may want to locate you idle circuit screws and turn them in (tighter).
This will fix your richness at idle. Your jet sizes have nothing to due
with being rich at idle. I'm not talkin a/b your idle speed screw.
You could have 2 or 4 idle circuit screw (at least on a Holley).
Like I said - I'm learning too. Maybe this will help.
WB

'93 Unique 427/351W/4sp

[clinck]

All good posts ....thanks guys. I will try some suggestions this weekend,]]
we'll see.

regards,



Sundown

[pbrown]

Modern 4 barrel carbs typically have four idle mixture screws near the base of the carb. You'll see two on each side. Turn them all the way in and then back them out 2 full turns. Remove the throttle linkage and adjust the idle set screw so that the butterflies are all the way closed. Start the car. Adjust the four idle mixture screws in or out until the idle is at max RPM. They should all be set the same and that will usually be at 1 1/2 to 2 turns out for a properly sized carb. Once the idle mixture is set, set the idle speed to where you want. Then set the accelerator pump so that the arm is as close as possable to the cam without touching. This is a good starting point. You want the pump to squert a enough fuel to overcome the monentary lean during throttle opening. Too much fuel and the car will have an off idle stumble.

All of this will give you a good base and be drivable. You should find a good tuning shop with a chassis dyno to really get the most out of the engine. You can easily gain 70 HP by just doing a little carb and timing adjustment.

And most of all, these instructions are very general. You should read the manual that came with your carb or buy a book.

Enjoy,

Patrick

[gasman]

Sundown, I find it very ironic that you and I were having the very same problems with our cars. I don't now how long my car sat in the garage before I acquired it, but I think it must have been quite some time. I also think my car was only diven a few miles at a time when it was driven very infrequently. From what I've learned in a short period of time, the Holly carburetor was designed to dump gas into the motor. My car ran rich all the time. Brent and Eliminator both think I had a blown power valve and it sounds like you do too! Trying to correct the problem created a different set of problems in my car. The jack-leg mechanic working on my car claimed to know everything there was to know about FE motors, I think I may have known more than he did. The secondaries on my carburetor were not working when I got the car back. I ended up abandoning the Holly in favor of a Quick Fuel Technology 750 CFM carburetor. Eliminator called the engineers at Quick Fuel Technology for me and had them build a carburetor that was setup especially for our cars. It arrived today and I put it on the car tonight. It runs like a completely different car. It is raining in Augusta, GA tonight, so I could not road test it. But the throttle response was clean, quick and alot less smelly. Check back later in the week for an update on Gasman's ride.

Steve Foushee

[clayfoushee]

Steve,

Sundown is running a different engine and different carb--Biggs, not Holley. As he posted on the other thread, his symptoms sounded different than what you initially described before your BMW genius [:o)]assaulted (murdered?) your Holley.

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[eliminator]

Isn't a Biggs basically a modified Holley??
Dont know for sure, just inquiring.

Rick

[clinck]

Rick, That's what I have figured out. I talked to my engine builder and he apparently doesn't like the Biggs carb. He says that that's my problem. He advised me to throw it away and get a demon race series carb. At this point i am just waiting to get Ruby into the doctor to see what the problem is after we get a scope on her.

Regards

Sundown

[Brent]

WHOA,

A Carburator is not your problem. The set-up on the carburator is the problem. If you want to throw away a carb. I will take it.


You need to go through the carb. you have, not just pitch everything on the car that needs an adjustment.

Brent

[gasman]

The demon series is a nice carburetor, I believe those are made by Barry Grant. Alan Weaver commented on my thread about there carburetors. Rick Bagley (Eliminator) urged me to go with one built by Quick Fuel Technology. I put the carburetor on my car last night and road tested it tonight. It made a world of difference. I would suggest giving them and Rick a call before making your decesion. I am confident you will be pleased with your car after changing the carb.

Steve Foushee

[clayfoushee]

Brent,

You're right as usual....no reason to pitch a perfectly good carb without diagnosing what the real problem is first.

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[eliminator]

I would definetly see if I could fix the one I have, you can send it to the experts to let them run through it. Personally on these cars I like the vacuum secondary carburetors with light springs. The problem with the Demon Series is that most are all mechanical secondaries, which I personally don't like on a light weight Cobra. The vacuum secondary carburetors they make have chokes on them which you don't need and restrict air flow. Other than that they are very well made and have all the modern stuff in them. Give the guy Alan recommened a call and see if he will go through it.


Rick

[clinck]

I know....I said that I would take the Ruby to the doctor first and get his oponion before I make any abrupt changes. Dave Adams, the engine builder seems to have a grudge against the people at Biggs Carburation. I will sort this out before I spend more money to fix a problem that can be fixed with toools and talent

Sundown

[clinck]

Right Brent, I agree. I have no intention of removing the carb until I find out what the problem is. That will require a little trip to the doctor's office at B&R Automotive. Biggs carbs are Hollry's with his personal touch. Dave Adams the engine builder obviuosly has a problem with mr. Biggs. They live 50 miles apart frfom each other. When I called Dave Adams for specific information on certain engine components I mewntioned that I was running to rich. He asked me what carburation I was running and when I said BIGGS he blew a gasket and told me that Biggs couldn't find his way out of a closet with the door open [his words]. He said that he has never seen a motor run right with a Biggs carb. He advised me to remove the carb and use it for a door stop as that was all it was good for. I enjoyed his tirade and have kept an open mind, If Bob at B&R can't adjust it to where it runs correctly then I take appropriate measures to correct the problem.

Sundown